Page 101 of Frankie and the Fed
“And he’ll accept with pleasure,” Ayala answers, and my father looks pleased. Since when is he satisfied with giving me something?
We finish eating and move to the living room. My mother puts a pot of tea in the center of the coffee table.
“We owe you an apology,” she says. “More than an apology,” she clarifies, throwing a meaningful look at my father. I don’t understand what she’s talking about. But it seems everyone else does.
“Ayala helped us to realize we wronged you many years ago. That we didn’t make it clear enough that you’re not to blame for what happened with Anna. We never blamed you, Ethan. It was so hard for us to bring up the subject, and it was easier to avoid it, but that was a mistake. We needed to talk to you. To let you know it was not your fault.” Her eyes glisten with tears.
Dad clears his throat. “We didn’t do it then, but we’ll do it now, and hopefully, it’s not too late to repair the damage done. We’re sorry for what happened. It wasn’t your fault. It was never your fault. You just threw a party, which any normal seventeen-year-old would have done. As her parents, it was our responsibility to pay attention to what was happening with Anna. I wish you hadn’t been the one to find her like that. I wish I could take it all away from you, make you forget the sight. It wasn’t your fault.”
I can’t breathe. The tears begin to flow. I can’t hold it back. I just can’t. I get up and leave the living room.
“Ethan!” I hear my mother calling after me, but I don’t stop. My legs lead me to my old room. I stop at the entrance, and my eyes widen. It looks the same as when I left. They changed nothing. I close the door and sit on the bed. I need air.
Not a minute passes, and there’s a knock on the door.
“Give me a minute,” I ask, not wanting them to see me like this, but the door opens. I open my mouth, ready to ask them to go away, but my gaze finds Ayala. Her blue eyes are full of understanding.
And that’s it. I can’t hold back any longer, and the tears pour down my face.
She doesn’t say anything. She walks up to me and takes me in her arms. I’m a total mess. This couldn’t happen to me at a more inappropriate time.
“I’m sorry,” I say to her after I gather myself.
“You’re not the one who needs to apologize for anything. They had to, and that’s exactly what they did.”
“I love you so much,” I say, tightening my hold on her. I can never let her go.
* * *
I planned everything. Every little detail. And now all that remains is to execute.
I walk through the gallery where I met Ayala for the first time and give instructions to the employees who are tidying up the place for me. It must be perfect.
“Ethan, stop,” Olive scolds me. “You’re confusing everyone. You asked me to do this. Let me do my job.” She pushes me out of the way.
It’s better this way. I’m too nervous. I’d better go get ready before I lose my shit. There’s not much time left.
When I return to the gallery later, wearing a new suit, I look around, amazed.
Olive did a crazy job here. The place doesn’t look at all like before. The walls are black to create a dark and romantic atmosphere. Coal bulbs hang from the ceiling, illuminating the place with a golden light. A huge glass sculpture of a hummingbird stands in the middle of the gallery on a small platform.
“I know you’re here, little sister, watching over me,” I whisper to the statue. “You would have loved Ayala.”
The vegetation that was here the first time we met was brought back, also illuminated. Small tables are scattered around the space. At my request, Olive also organized a small dance floor, and next to it is a stage with all the band’s equipment. The place looks magical.
I’ll have to thank Olive later, as she went to get Ayala. The guests I invited are arriving, and I have to welcome them.
Everybody’s here. Ayala’s parents, my parents, Madeleine, Amber, Ryan, Maya, and the baby. All the employees from Savee. I even invited the team that worked with her at Lunis.
Olive
Five minutes to arrival.
“She’s coming!” I yell, sending everybody to stand in their places. My heart is beating so hard that I think everyone here can hear it.
I stand in the center, and as soon as we hear the car pull up outside, I signal the band to start.
They play “Every Breath You Take.” The song I sang to her for our first date. I’m on my knees.
